For those we leave behind
by chaos key
Summary: Glinda comes back after Elphaba's death... Nothing will ever be the same and she can already feel her smile breaking and faltering. But she will stay strong, because Elphie wouldn't want her to cry.


This is my newest story, I have read the book and seen the play and decided to stay in play's version of facts, at least concerning this oneshot.

I hope you will like it.

I do not Own Wicked or the Wizard of OZ.

~WICKED~

Glinda walked to her room, keeping her fake shinning smile plastered on her face. But she couldn't feel it, she couldn't get her smile to reach her eyes. It felt as if she was walking in a dream, all these happy faces while she felt so devastated. Glinda barely registered as she nodded and greeted some people on the way to her bedroom, never hearing what they said in return. She continued on her way, never answering. The only thing on her mind was to get away from all this. All this happiness was stiffening and it felt as if she couldn't breathe anymore.

It was the sound of her own door closing behind her that brought her out of the dazed trance she was in. Slowly, her smile faltered and the appearance she was able to maintain for the people broke. Her face went blank and her usually brilliant blue eyes seemed to dimmer.

Mechanically, she took off her diadem and slowly undid the numerous and fastidious claps of her dress and changed into her night robes. Looking outside, she saw the sun still shinning as a soft breeze came through the open window.

It was strange, feeling the warmth on her skin and hearing the cheers and celebration and feeling as if it was miles away, as if in a dream.

She hated them for being happy about something so sad. She hated them, despised them for what they did and yet she had to be good. How could they be so cheerful... no... they _dared _be joyful...

But her reality was different, she guessed. Her reality was to remain just that, only hers.

The songs still filtered softly through the open windows and delicately, she lifted her arms and closed them, blocking the dreadful words.

A sigh escaped her rosy lips and the last restrains and tension left her. She was alone now.

Glinda finally let out the broken sob she was holding back. Tears pooled in her eyes before rolling down her cheeks, falling on her trembling hands.

She tried to breathe, only managing another rasped sob that shook her whole frail body. Never before she had felt so weak, powerless and useless. Yes, that's all she had been.

Just a nice little baby doll.

Her legs gave out under her and she dropped to the ground, her back against her bed, crying loudly, painfully.

She slowly brought her knees to her chest and hugged them close to her, pressing her eyelids against her knees, hoping that it would in some way help the pain away.

But then again, it never did.

Biting down on her lower lip, she cried even more.

She was alone now. Forever.

It took her two days to regain some sort of composure and somewhere, deep within her, she wished it could take her more time, she wished it wouldn't so easy to act like everything was good.

She wished that people weren't so gullible as she fed them with her own lies. She hated that they would believe everything without even a question. And as she announced the leave of absence the Wizard had taken, she had hoped that they would... react in some way or another.

But as soon as she declared that she would be in charge for the duration of the Wizard's absence, however long that may be, the joy came back on their faces and smiles stretched their lips.

The Celebrations went on.

And her rage grew silently behind her soft and gentle plastic smile.

And every night, when she found herself alone, she cried.

Yet, every morning, she went to the palace where Oz once ruled, she smiled. Slowly, but surely, she started to soften the rules and Bans on the Animals. She couldn't exactly remove them so abruptly but she had promised to herself that Elphaba wouldn't have died in vain.

As she immersed herself in her work, she slowly stopped crying every night. She sniffled at most while leaning over parchments and books, but she was determined, she had a goal. She would mourn until her death but at least she would have done something to make it right by Elphaba's memory.

And one night, as she laid wide-awake in her large bed, remembering that dreadful day, she suddenly leaned up, blinking in confusion.

Sure, Elphaba hated water, feared it even, but she certainly wasn't endangered by it.

How could a bucket of water kill her? Glinda wondered as she stood up with a frown, walking towards her personal library.

She spent the rest of the night reading and researching; the seed of doubt had been implanted in her mind.

And she wasn't able to rest. As she administrated the affairs of the kingdom, her heart was elsewhere and her mind was still thinking about the water and the strangeness of Elphaba's death.

It couldn't be. There was absolutely no indication anywhere that water would have melt her. There was some old folklore stories and all but no spells, no tangible proof of any sort.

So she wondered for a long time, her hand signing papers without really reading, her lips smiling as if it was a permanent reflex.

What happened that night? What truly happened? Was there something in the water? Was it a spell she didn't know of?

So Glinda stayed awake, hiding her tiredness behind make up and flourishes, perfecting her mannerism so that nobody would notice that she was actually loosing sleep over the death of the 'wicked witch of the west'.

She smiled wryly as she finished yet another book about old grandma's legends. Nothing.

She was beginning to think that the common people of Oz were stupid to the point of being dangerous. No... that had already been proven.

At least, it allowed her to give back their rights to the Animals without anyone being truly bothered.

Glinda yawned loudly, not even minding her lack of manners or cuteness. Why would she? She was alone anyways. Sighing through her nose, she reached for another book. That was one thing she always liked with Elphaba. The green girl didn't mind her lack of manners in private. With her she knew she could be herself, something she never felt with anyone else, not even Fiyero.

The blonde sorceress yawned yet again, blinking furiously to will the sleepiness away from her as she leaned over another book.

But slowly, inevitably, her exhaustion caught up to her and without realizing, she drifted into blissful sleep.

She stirred the next morning, her sleep troubled by the gentle light peering through the window. She struggled against consciousness, hugging her blanket closer, snuggling into the warmth, trying to fall back into sleep. But somehow, her sleep-induced mind registered that her bed was unusually hard. Frowning, she blinked the sleep away in annoyance, wondering where the mattress had gone only to realize that she was staring at a pile of book instead of her bed table.

Glinda leaned up slowly, the page of the book sticking to her cheek. With an embarrassed flush she sprung up, rubbing her cheek and brushing away the small trail of saliva that had dripped down her chin. She closed the book swiftly, hiding the compromising stain of drool on the page, looking around to make sure she was alone. Her stare fell on the open window, her confused mind somehow wondering why she hadn't thought of closing it last night.

She stood up with a frown, still slightly embarrassed, rubbing absent-mindedly her chin even though there was no drool anymore. A heavy fabric slid from her shoulders and fell down on the ground and she looked to her feet. It was a jet-black traveling cape. Glinda bend down, grabbing the soft fabric with her delicate fingers, caressing it in wonder. It looked like Elphaba's...

Tears sprung to her eyes and she felt a genuine smile stretch her lips, she stood up, hugging the cape that still held Elphaba's scent. Could it be that she was alive?

Glinda giggled softly, tears of happiness dripping down her cheeks. She looked around her room in hope to find something else, a letter maybe, but there was nothing. Still, her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror and she frowned curiously. She approached the large mirror, her hand going to her hair.

Right there, holding back the gentle blonde curls was an innocent flower just like the one she herself had put in Elphaba's hair. The flower was a vibrant emerald green.

Glinda laughed. She laughed out loud, still crying, holding the cape to her heart, a smile so large it hurt plastered on her face.

Then she stopped, realization flashing in her blue eyes.

Elphie had seen her drooling in her sleep. On a book.

Glinda blushed in embarrassment once more, but a light of happiness still danced in her eyes.

She could live with that.


End file.
